


Two Days Later

by crowleymurderous



Category: Grand Theft Auto Online - Fandom, Grand Theft Auto V
Genre: Arguing, Awkwardness, Drinking, Flirting, Grand Theft Auto Online, Hand Jobs, Infidelity, M/M, Major Character(s), Making Out, Original Character(s), Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Spoilers, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:34:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26611498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowleymurderous/pseuds/crowleymurderous
Summary: “I feel like my mind is going a thousand miles an hour, every fucking second of the day. I got the IAA breathing down my neck 'cause they expect me to fix whatever mess Avon left, and now I've gotta deal with whatever the hell this is,” he stated, gesturing to the both of them, “and if I don't do anything about either of those things, the whole fucking world falls apart, and I'm the only one to blame!”In which the events of the Doomsday Act 2 Finale have a larger impact on Lester than he lets on.Sequel to One Hour Later — read it if you haven't yet because it has important context!
Relationships: Lester Crest/GTA Online Protagonist, Lester Crest/Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	Two Days Later

**Author's Note:**

> worked my ass off to get this written, but it's finally done!!
> 
> probably my longest body of work ever so I'm extra proud of this :D
> 
> I don't have much else to say except enjoy!!!

* * *

The mid-afternoon sun reflected off the hood of the black Zion as it grounded to a halt, kicking up particles of dry soil into the air. Alex switched the engine off and exited the vehicle, cursing himself for picking an inconvenient Facility location.

RON Alternates Wind Farm seemed like the ideal place at the time, with a scenic view of the San Chianski and Tataviam mountains from the hilltop, and it had great accessibility to the freeway, but what the ad listing failed to tell him was that the windmills were an aircraft hazard and an absolute bitch to weave through if he were trying to land a helicopter, and that the dirt road leading up to the Facility was winding and offered little traction for whatever vehicle he rode.

If he had any doubts about whether or not today would be good, Alex was sure of his decision now — starting with how dirty the Zion got just from the drive up to the wind farm. He made a mental note to have his car washed as soon as this meeting was over; he wasn't a fan of driving to begin with, but it was his first car and he felt obligated to take care of it, even if it was a fairly standard car and didn't have much going for it.

He leaned on the side of the vehicle and shielded his eyes from the sun as he watched the heavy metal entrance of the Facility split open, hazard lights flashing wildly and industrial-sized hinges creaking with effort. Making sure it had fully opened, the brunette took his time walking to the mounted keypad, then punched in the access code to allow the platform to lower.

As the entrance closed and the platform descended underground, Alex took his phone out to reread what Lester had texted him earlier that day.

_"Mrs. Rackman called, said to meet up at Planning sometime around 3pm. Bogdan will be there too. Don't be late."_

He didn't bother coming up with a response to that, and even if he did, it would only come off flippant or sarcastic. It was the first time in two days that the hacker had said anything to him, and the first thing he talks about is work. No mention at all of that night.

 _That's fair,_ Alex thought. Their last interaction was anything but amicable, and he knew he was partially to blame for the awkward parting—

_Screw it, it's completely my fault._

The sudden halt of the platform shook Alex out of his thoughts, indicating that it had finally landed on the ground floor of the Facility. The interior of the building was a white and cool grey, and the ambient temperature even colder than Alex remembered. The last time he'd stepped inside was when he and Kode were briefed for their assault on the Ramius submarine, which was just before Avon turned sides and betrayed the entire team. A lot — no, too much had happened since then, and he had long since shed the feeling of betrayal and instead chose to focus on the tasks at hand, one at a time.

It was easier that way.

Alex made his way to the left wing of the building, where he was greeted by his security personnel and his concierge staff overseeing the base operations from their desktop computers.

One of the two assistants on standby at the concierge looked up from her monitor and politely nodded at his arrival. “Good afternoon, Mr. Romero.”

“Hey, Edith.” Alex stopped by her side of the desk and plucked a Meteorite Bar from the snack tray before pocketing it in his jacket. “Anyone here yet?”

“Yes. Mr. Crest is in the Planning room.”

Of course he was. “Just him?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thanks.”

Typical of Lester to be painfully punctual, even in situations that didn't call for it, although this seemed like the perfect occasion to be early — which was why Alex made an effort to arrive before the agreed time. He was not, however, looking forward to being in the same room with the other man, not after what happened last time. Then again, it would be just the two of them, alone, in more or less the same circumstances as their last meeting…

No, that wasn't true. This was a completely different set of circumstances — they were sober, clear-headed, and all business — but maybe he could still turn the tide and shift the tension between them into something more… productive.

Once he reached the entrance of the Planning room, Alex input the same access code as earlier into a similarly-built keypad mounted on the wall. The metal doors slid open with a gentle whoosh, and he was greeted by the familiar sight of the amphitheater arrangement and the rows of monitors that lined up the front wall of the room, displaying various maps and plans and lines of indecipherable code. Lester was by the right podium, typing something on his laptop and swearing something unintelligible under his breath.

Alex said nothing as he strolled into the room and took a seat on the backmost row, eyes focusing instead on the information being presented on the monitors. He snuck a quick glance at the older man at the other side of the room, who must have thought to do the same, because for a split second their eyes locked — and in that same instance broke eye contact.

The tension in the air was thick, suffocating; if Alex didn't know any better he'd have thought he was actually being choked. It was the same palpable tension as that night, and the intensity hadn't waned at all since then; one would argue it had worsened, and the gravity of the situation at hand only served to heighten the pressuring atmosphere.

It was Lester who first broke the silence, clearing his throat and turning his attention to the brunette. He maintained his unfocused stare at his laptop, giving the brunette the absolute bare minimum acknowledgment. “Alex.”

The utterance of his name caught him off-guard, but Alex recovered quickly enough, returning the deadpan tone to the older man. “Lester.”

They remained in uncomfortable silence, too long for either of their liking, until the hacker finally mustered a reply. He was visibly fidgety, and he felt like he was talking to Alex for the first time again, with the familiar, awkward attempts at small talk. “You're, uh, here early.”

“Yeah. You said not to be late.”

“Right, right, I did.” Lester rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what to make of the other man. Were they both thinking the same thing? Probably. Definitely. “Listen, uh… about the other night…”

Alex's ears perked up at that, and suddenly the memories of two days earlier came rushing in. “What about it?”

“I… shouldn't have left like that. Er, well, I had somewhere to be, and—”

“You're no good when you lie, Lest.” Alex stood up and made his way to the other man's side of the room. It was the first time in a while they had spoken face-to-face, in such close vicinity, and the brunette was taking pleasure in the way it made Lester nervous. “It's written all over your face.”

“I— it is?”

“Absolutely. From here,” said Alex as he traced a finger from Lester's forehead down to his lips, “to here.”

And oh did that make him squirm.

“You didn't like it?” the brunette softly inquired, with surprising genuineness. Much as he relished having Lester melt under his touch, he wasn't enjoying it if the other man wasn't into it too. “You regret that night?”

“‘Regret’ isn't the, uh, word I'd use,” replied Lester with about as much sincerity as he could muster without giving himself away. ‘’More… ‘unexpected’?”

“I don't think either of us expected it.”

“Yeah, that's… that's true.”

Another long pause between them. The hacker fidgeted under Alex's scrutinizing gaze, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. It was like he was being picked at until his innermost parts were exposed, raw and real and vulnerable. He didn't like the gnawing sensation — the sensation of having this level of intimacy with someone and not knowing what it meant, or where it would lead, or what would happen if they continued whatever this was, and the uncertainty was eating him alive.

Lester supposed there was only one way to find out.

“… Y'know, I wouldn't be, uh, opposed.”

Alex raised a brow. “Opposed to what?”

“To… continuing… where we left off.”

The brunette flashed his signature wolfish grin upon hearing those words. Wherever this was going, he was definitely liking it. “Oh? You mean that?”

There it was again, the incessant gnawing in the pit of Lester's stomach, and it only worsened the longer he stayed in the vicinity of the other man. He was beginning to realize that Alex had a certain aura about him, an air of dangerousness that left the hacker feeling on edge — but not without intrigue. It was an almost primal instinct; every fiber in his being was telling him that this whole situation was a bad idea, and to stay as far away from the brunette as possible, but something deeper inside him was suppressing the impulse to run.

Lester was past the point of resisting, anyway. Alex read him like a book, and there was nothing he could hide from him that he wouldn't eventually figure out.

The hacker's reply came with a small exhale, having settled his thoughts on the matter. “… Yes.”

“That's all I wanted to hear from you, Lest.” Alex stepped forward and placed a hand on the older man's shoulder, who shuddered at the contact. “Among many other things I'd like to hear come from your mouth.”

Lester rolled his eyes upon hearing that, like it was routine. The atmosphere felt light again, as if hearing Alex's flirty remarks meant that everything was back to relative normalcy — even though they both knew nothing would ever be the same again, not after what had happened.

Alex took advantage of the lull in the conversation to trace a hand down the older man's back, just delicate enough to earn a shiver in response. “Let's continue then, shall we? You did say this was the one room in the country where we couldn't be recorded.”

“I-I mean, I did say that, but… c-continue what, exactly?”

“Nothing you wouldn't want, trust me.” The brunette's fingers ghosted over the small of Lester's back, and the latter bit his lower lip to stifle a gasp. “You trust me, don't you?”

Against all odds, he did.

Alex had that dark expression in his eyes again, an expression the hacker had become all too familiar with. When he stepped backward, Alex quickly filled the space between them by stepping forward, like an unspoken tango with steps they'd already memorized.

Lester's back pressed against the wall of the room and, like clockwork, the other man closed the distance and was towering over his huddled frame. He shivered as Alex's hands trailed down the outline of his body, taking their sweet time to accentuate the roundness of his figure. They landed right on his hips, palms fitting perfectly around their curves as he sensed careful fingers toying with the leather of his belt.

Alex leaned in closer, mere inches from the other's lips, and watched in delight as Lester craned his neck forward just enough to silently plead for lip contact — but Alex didn't give him the satisfaction. He decided it was more fun to tease Lester into outright begging to be touched, at least for the moment; there would always be time later for more hands-on interaction, and Alex was looking forward to it.

“Lest,” he whispered, tilting his head to the side and lips gently grazing over the shell of Lester's ear, “tell me what you want.”

The hacker angled his head in such a way to accommodate Alex's leaning in, and the hairs on his neck stood as he felt the heat radiate from the other man's breathing. “I-I… I want…”

All of a sudden his tongue was heavy and unable to properly articulate his thoughts, and he had difficulty trying to steady his breathing. Every inhalation he took was filled with the intoxicating scent of Alex's cologne and the faint warmth of what little air they shared in their close proximity. Despite the shiver in his spine and the weakness in his knees, Lester had never craved a feeling so badly he was willing to ignore the alarms going off in his head.

“Do you like what I do to you?” murmured Alex, voice husky and dropped to barely a whisper. “Is that what you want? A little teasing? Or… something more?”

Even as his thumbs dug into the waistline of Lester's jeans, Alex never performed any further touching; it was partly because teasing him was good fun all on its own, but mostly because he wanted the older man to admit, explicitly, what it is exactly that he wanted — and Alex was trying his damned best to wrestle out the answer.

Lester, however, didn't have one. He'd never experienced this level of intimacy before, let alone with another man, and he hadn't the slightest idea what to do or what to say, or where things should go past a certain point. He'd resolved to carry this out to the end… somehow, and all he needed to do was to suppress any scrap of guilt he had left in his morally ambiguous character. What was a little infidelity in his ever-growing list of bad deeds and heinous activity, anyway?

All he knew was whatever happened that night, he hadn't been able to think about anything else but Alex and how he made him feel, and how altogether terrifying and exciting this new relationship was. Something inside him clicked, as if all the little moments they shared in the past suddenly made sense, and Lester found himself aching for a repeat of the rush of emotions he felt a couple of nights ago, like a high he was desperate to chase.

“Lest? Tell me.” Alex's voice snapped the hacker out of his thoughts as he pressed his body closer, letting his lips hover just an inch from Lester's neck. “Do you... crave for me?”

_Yes. More than anything._

But rather than vocalizing his response, Lester let out a whimper and attempted to steady his shaky knees with his walking cane, although Alex was doing a fairly good job of keeping him upright with his hands firmly placed on the older man's waist.

“Tell me you want me, and I'm all yours.”

Lester had been aware he let the brunette do all the talking — which was fine, since he couldn't even utter a word, let alone a sentence — but the downside to that was that hearing Alex's voice and the words he murmured drove him crazy and weak in the knees, and left him with a fiery desire in his chest and his… nether areas.

Before Lester could respond, however, the familiar beeping of the keypad being accessed from the outside echoed in the room, and Alex was off of him just before the metal doors slid open. Both men were left flustered, Lester moreso, but the brunette was quicker to recover and compose himself to appear presentable enough, as if he wasn't just seducing Lester into begging to be touched.

They turned to see who had just entered, and was met with the burly figure of the Russian captain Bogdan plodding inside, military boots stomping loudly with every step.

“Oh good, you're here,” Lester announced with a hint of ire, both relieved and disappointed that his private moment with the other man was interrupted — relieved because he wasn't sure how much more foreplay he could endure, and disappointed because he was somewhat hoping it would escalate past the dirty talk.

“Yes. Here I am finally.” The war captain took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, not caring whether or not smoking was even permitted inside. “Keypad outside, nice feature.”

Alex gave him a tight smile to hide the irritation beneath. “Thanks. Not my idea or design, but thanks.”

Bogdan grunted in response and took a drag from his cigarette, pacing around the room. “What are we waiting for? Quartz is assembling army as we speak.”

“Kode and Mrs. Rackman aren't here yet,” replied Lester, checking his watch, “and I'd really rather not start until everyone's present.”

As if on cue, the entrance slid open once more to reveal Kode, who was preoccupied with fixing his white mohawk fade with a small comb. “Hey.” He looked around the room for a moment before deciding to sit in the middle row of the amphitheater.

“You're late,” Lester commented, pointing at the other man with his cane.

Alex shot a smirk at his friend and took a seat next to him. “What, hair gel ran out so you had to buy some on the way?”

“You're a real comedian, you know that?” Kode threw a punch at the brunette's shoulder, but he couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips.

“I'm hilarious.”

“Alright, alright, we get it, you're funny guys,” the hacker cut in with a wave of his hand, “but let's talk work for a second, 'cause if we're gonna stop this little bastard and his idiotically-named AI neural network from destroying humanity, we're gonna need to act fast.”

“Like shit up stick!” boomed Bogdan.

Alex snorted. “Yeah, exactly.”

“Now that we know this little bastard is going to unleash hell, he's buying customized missile launchers, tanks, and SUVs,” Bogdan stated, counting off the vehicles on his fingers. “We need to intercept these.”

The entrance to the Planning room opened a final time, and in walked Mrs. Rackman with an iFruit laptop in hand. She didn't spare the others in the room a second glance, but everyone had their eyes on her as she descended the stairs.

“Oh, you…” Lester muttered, his irritation growing with every passing second. “Where is that IAA Agent?”

“Kidnapped.” Mrs. Rackman strode into the front of the room, heels clicking against the hard flooring. “Now he's got two of my agents.”

Lester shot her an incredulous look. “Kidnapped?”

“Yes. The little asshole got himself trapped this morning.”

Bogdan moved to the first row of the amphitheater, then donned a pair of sunglasses as he took his seat. “Where do you find these morons?”

Mrs. Rackman gave him an uninterested expression and mounted her laptop on the left podium, connecting it to the planning screen. “You're going to have to bring him back for me. Two dead agents, no payday.”

“Wait, wait,” interjected Kode, “how is that our business?”

“If there are dead agents, it doesn't matter if you save the earth from communism,” she explained. “Your check won't cash.”

“So we have to do a little damsel in distress rescue mission before we get paid?” Alex shook his head. “Bullshit.”

The IAA agent raised her hands defensively. “Not my rules. It's to keep us from killing each other.”

“Okay, okay, just…” The brunette pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling exasperated just thinking about their side errand. “Where was he grabbed?”

Mrs. Rackman pressed a button on the planning screen's remote, and a photograph of a bird's eye view of Merryweather Headquarters flashed on the monitors. “Merryweather's got him. They're going to sell him to Avon or to the highest bidder at the port.”

“Well, why don't we just buy him back instead?” suggested Lester.

She gave a small nod. “Okay, yeah. But you'll need cash.”

Alex furrowed his eyebrows. “How much?”

“Somewhere around the four, five million range.”

“Holy shit,” muttered Kode.

“And I'm guessing you don't have that kind of money to spend,” replied Mrs. Rackman, “so I'm thinking… maybe I'll put you in touch with our good friends the FIB. They just had some funding come through.”

“But I hate the FIB!” spat Lester, “and Merryweather!”

Alex bit the inside of his lip to suppress a laugh. Something about Lester outright expressing disdain with such sincerity was entertaining in a way, and the brunette almost found it to be… cute. For a moment he and Lester locked eyes, and the latter felt just the faintest hint of embarrassment about his outburst.

“Avon was debriefing ULP when he was kicking this off,” Mrs. Rackman elaborated, ignoring the hacker's prior exclamation. “ULP's in custody, but his secret transmitter is still live.”

“Custody? Another rescue mission?” Alex inquired. These little side errands were getting old fast, and faster was he tiring of it.

The IAA agent nodded at that. “He thinks he can steal one of their choppers to escape if we're able to protect him.”

“Avon has the entire defense infrastructure at his fingertips!” Lester cried out, throwing his hands in the air. “We— we would need a— a ballistic missile launcher to have half a chance!”

Mrs. Rackman gave him a knowing smile. “And I know where to get one.” She clicked the remote once more, and the planning screen displayed exactly what they needed — a photograph of a Chernobog artillery truck with a mounted rocket system, located in what appeared to be military training grounds.

Having finished briefing them on what needed to be done, Mrs. Rackman packed her laptop and ascended the stairs of the amphitheater, leaving the rest of the team to discuss their next move.

Lester stared at the planning screen and blinked slowly, suddenly caught off-guard. “O-oh… okay.”

“Like it is, you need to stop Clifford from getting hardware it requires to kill everybody,” Bogdan stated bluntly, stamping out his cigarette and collecting his things. He, too, seemed to be taking his leave. “Democracy is problem. People have too many ideas. In my day… ideas, bad.”

As Bogdan exited the planning room, Kode stood up and stretched his arms above his head, yawning loudly. “Well. That's that, then. Merryweather time.”

“More like get-fucked-by-Cliffford time, but that's kind of a given,” Alex responded in a flat tone.

“As always.” The other man collected his phone and made his way to the exit, not bothering to make his farewells.

The instant the doors closed behind him, Lester began packing his laptop and tucking it under his arm, in somewhat of a hurry. He knew very well what would happen if he and Alex were left in the same room and, although the idea of it was appealing, he pushed the thought back in his mind and tried to focus on the task at hand — which was a difficult feat in itself so long as the brunette was around.

“Get to work,” Lester ordered the other man, before the latter could say anything else. “I'll be in touch.”

Alex faked a pout. “So serious.”

“Yeah, well, I need you to expect the worst. He's onto us.”

Lester took his walking cane and made his way to the stairs, passing Alex by and not giving him so much as a side glance. Alex, however, didn't let that stop him; he just silently followed the older man out of the planning room and back out into the hallway, the tiniest smirk on his lips.

As they turned the corner, Alex stepped forward to meet Lester's walking speed, and the two were walking side by side. “Where're you off to after this?”

“I was, uh, thinking of just sitting at home drinking moonshine, until Mrs. Rackman gives me the full details of the FIB funding exchange.”

“Ever the workaholic, hmm?” the brunette teased. “At least let me join you.”

Being alone with Alex and alcohol, a second time? Hadn't Lester learned his lesson the first time? But the fact that he was contemplating on saying yes meant he had truly gone off the deep end with this newfound relationship — at least that's what he told himself. The worst part wasn't that whatever they had was riddled with consequences that would end them and their careers, it was that despite all the blatantly obvious risks, Lester was still willing to give in to the temptation. Alex had that aura about him, the hacker was quickly remembering, that made him less inhibited about his desires and more open to facing the consequences head-on, should they happen.

And they will, because they always did.

“No thanks,” Lester replied. “Unless you've got better alcohol here, I'm heading home. Alone.”

“If I did, would you stay?”

The hacker stopped in his tracks and gave Alex a curious look. “Really? You keep alcohol here?”

“Are you so surprised?” Alex jogged forward, now striding ahead of the older man. “Wherever I go, alcohol should follow.”

So should Lester, apparently. “‘Ever the alcoholic, hmm?’”

“Ha ha,” Alex fake laughed. “You're real clever, Lest.”

“Uh-huh. I've yet to see this so-called better alcohol, so excuse me while I call a cab.”

The brunette walked forward a couple of paces and came to a halt in front of a door, built similarly to the one by the planning room entrance. Adjacent to the door was a horizontal window, giving way to a clear view of the bedroom within. “It's in here.”

“What is?”

“The booze.” Alex pushed a small button on the door, and it slid open with a gentle noise, revealing the inside of a modern bedroom, styled to match the Facility's interior. He stepped inside and, with a playful smile on his lips, beckoned for the older man to enter with him.

As Lester walked in, he took his time observing his immediate surroundings — the room was predominantly black, with grey and white accents, and it was decorated with sparse but high-end furniture. The side opposite the window contained wardrobes and closets built into the wall, and perpendicular to that was the queen-sized bed, which looked like it hadn't been laid on in a long while. The rest of the empty space in the room was furnished with plush armchairs and modernly-designed tables, and in one corner a mini fridge sat wedged between the cool grey walls.

Alex crouched as he approached the mini fridge, swinging the door open and retrieving a bottle of chilled Blêuter'd Champagne Silver. He stood up and brandished the bottle in Lester's direction, the wolfish grin never leaving his face. “You like?”

“Wait. Is that—”

“Yep. Thought it'd be better to stash it here, where I have CCTVs everywhere, manned by a security team that's armed to the teeth 24/7.”

Lester raised an unimpressed brow. “It means that much to you, huh?”

“Hey, this bottle cost me $30,000!” Alex cradled the champagne in his arms, like it were his own child. “You should be glad I'm sharing this with you. A glass is at least $5,000.”

The hacker eyed the bottle expectantly. “Did you invite me inside your very contemporary bedroom just to show that off, or are we gonna get to drinking?”

Alex only replied with a knowing look and proceeded to peel off the foil around the neck of the bottle, then carefully unfastened the wire cage securing the cork. He then brought out his car key and jammed it into the cork, before twisting it and popping it open with a jerk of his arm. The cork shot out of the bottle, narrowly missing Lester's head, and a stream of fizzy champagne churned out.

“Hey!” yelped the hacker. “Was that on purpose?”

“You really think I'd try and hurt you, Lest?” Alex teased, wiping the neck of the bottle with the hem of his shirt. “I'm offended.”

“I'm not even going to answer that. Just hand over the booze.”

“In due time. I get first dibs.”

Alex brought the rim of the bottle to his mouth and took a sip, then smirked at the older man before grabbing his chin and giving him a hasty kiss. The brunette's lips parted ever so slightly, and the remaining champagne in his mouth made its way onto Lester's tongue, the latter's initial surprise melting into growing neediness. The sparkling taste of the alcohol lingered even after Alex pulled away, and the hacker found himself thirsting for more.

“How'd you like it?” inquired the brunette, taking a quick swipe of his lips with his tongue.

Lester inhaled and exhaled slowly as he tried to compose himself. “It was… good.”

“There's more where that came from, if you'd like.”

If he was being completely honest with himself, Lester definitely would have liked that and more, circumstances willing. When he felt the other man's lips press against his, days after their initial kiss, he experienced that same high, the same surge of emotions as the other night, and the effects of the crash that came just as quickly after. Withdrawal was a nasty thing, and he needed a fix. Fast.

“… Another taste.”

Alex grinned in response and took another swig, then set the bottle atop the mini fridge and planted another hungry kiss on the older man's lips. This time there was less hesitation and more fervor, and their tongues danced as the champagne swirled around, reminiscent of the taste of fruit and each other. The drink didn't curb Lester's thirst; if anything it only made him want it more, and he was willing to drink as much champagne as it took for him to be satisfied.

Without pausing or slowing down, Alex stepped forward and gently guided Lester backward with his hands, until the latter felt the wall press against his back. The brunette maintained his hold on his partner's waist as he dove deeper into the kiss, getting sloppier and hungrier as the seconds passed.

Lester let out a muffled moan, one hand gripping his cane and the other clutching onto the brunette's shirt. He could feel heat building up between them, partly because of the physical contact and partly because of their arousal quickly building up with every nip and flick of their tongue.

He was needy and the other was greedy, and they wanted nothing more than to have a taste, have a feel of each other to satiate the growing appetite in their stomach. This was just what Lester knew he wanted but didn't realize he needed, and he could have had it earlier had they not been interrupted by work obligations, but that was neither here nor there, and right now he just wanted to focus all his attention on Alex.

The brunette pulled away for a moment just short enough to start peppering kisses along the side of Lester's mouth, before moving lower down his neck. Alex gave a hum of amusement when he heard the older man gasp, and he took it as an invitation to leave a lovebite just beneath the collar of his turtleneck. The mark was small, hardly noticeable, but it was there, and it was enough to make Lester feel like he belonged to Alex, at least for this moment.

“A-Alex…”

Upon hearing his name, Alex paused and looked up into Lester's half-lidded eyes, and the latter gazed into those familiar dark, hungry eyes that he'd become well-acquainted with. He noticed the fading scars across the bridge of Alex's nose and in between his eyes, and he suddenly recalled their assault on the IAA base weeks ago, where Alex was fatally wounded by explosive frags tearing into his skin, leaving him with bloody eyes and cross-cut wounds that would eventually fade into ugly scars.

As he stared at the brunette and the pale marks across his face, Lester saw not ugliness but determination — the same unwavering determination he showed when he was set on finishing what they'd started, whether it involved Avon, or a client job, or this relationship they now shared in secret, and Lester was just as determined to see where this was going with little regard to what would happen if they continued this to the end.

He was just going to enjoy the ride while it lasted.

Alex busied himself with planting kisses along the older man's neck, stopping only to work on unbuckling the latter's belt until it finally came undone. Lester only had an inkling of an idea what was going to happen next, and in spite of that uncertainty he was practically begging Alex to hurry up and get on with whatever he had in mind. This was, after all, a continuation of the night they drank wine and had a heart-to-heart — the night where everything unraveled and evolved into a hasty exchange of skin and sweat.

Lester needed this, needed Alex, and although he'd never admit it, he needed a distraction, and this was sufficient. If the thought of Alex kept him up at night, it would be no different from the pressure of having to save all of humanity, but at least the former had an immediate, palpable feeling of gratification once fulfilled, and it was only a fraction of the work of stopping Avon and Cliffford.

That alone made this worthwhile.

The brunette leaned his head into the crook of Lester's neck, and said nothing as he unfastened the button of his jeans and pulled the zipper slider down until it was open completely. Slowly, teasingly, Alex trailed a hand along the older man's body before stopping just at Lester's growing arousal, hidden only by boxers, and he smiled to himself when he heard the hacker's breath hitch at the touch.

Alex chuckled quietly to himself when he began massaging the area and the older man's silent whimpers turned into audible moans. The fabric of Lester's boxers was thick, soft, but the brunette had no trouble making out the distinct outline and stiffness of Lester's erection.

“Do you want this, Lest?” he murmured, rubbing it just enough to draw out another strained gasp from the man shivering beneath him.

“I-I… I…”

“Mm? You… what?”

“I… I want this.”

_I need this._

Alex smiled to himself and tugged the hem of Lester's boxers down, carefully taking into his hand his partner's throbbing erection. He brushed his thumb over the tip, and was pleased with himself when he earned a soft whine in response.

Lester tore his gaze away from the wall he'd been blankly staring at this whole time, and he took notice of the window with a view that led to the rest of the Facility. If it revealed the outside of the room from the inside with perfect clarity, surely it revealed the inverse just as well — and he was suddenly made aware of how exposed they both were. What if someone had peered in?

What if someone _had_ peered in?

“Alex…” Lester shied away from the other man's presence and turned his head in the direction of the other wall. “The… the window?”

“Hm? What about it?”

“It's… a window.”

 _Ah, right._ Alex used his free hand to turn a small dial installed on the wall he had Lester pinned against, and the see-through glass faded into an almost opaque matte black color. “Smart glass. Sorry I forgot.”

Lester was about to chastise him for not saying so earlier when he felt fingers curl around his erection, and his mind snapped back to what was happening. This was real. This was real, and Alex was about to give him a handjob, and he didn't know how to cope with that reality other than melting under his touch and whimpering softly with every stroke.

And Lester had never been touched like that — let alone by someone he was attracted to, who also happened to be attracted to him — apart from his own hand, and even that couldn't compare to the sensation of having someone else do it for him, and God did it feel amazing. All those times he jerked off by himself, alone in his room, thinking he was never good enough for a real relationship and that the only company he could keep was his own so he resorted to porn videos to simulate sexual activity… all those times seemed like an eternity ago, and he was reeled back to the present when Alex whispered sweetly in his ear. “You like that, Lest?”

When the older man gave no verbal response, Alex repeated, “You like it? Or should I stop?”

“N-no, don't stop,” Lester muttered in between breaths.

“I think I need a little bit more convincing,” purred the brunette, pulling his head back so he could look at Lester's tense expression. “I want to hear how badly you want it.”

Lester was being made to beg, be reduced to humiliation and degradation, but he was willing to do whatever it took to satisfy his growing need, and Alex knew from the start he'd be prepared to do just that.

Alex read him well. Too well.

“P-please…” the older man managed to stutter, even as he felt his knees going weak and his mind blanking from the stimulation.

“‘Please’ what?”

There was a brief moment of hesitation on Lester's end, but he had to relent if he wanted to finish. “P-please… faster…”

“Is that it? There must be more.” Alex increased his pace and watched in delight as the older man's breath hitched with every pump, and he could tell by the latter's expression that a climax was not too far off — but he had to make Lester beg for it first.

“A-Alex… f-fuck…”

“Say it,” he commanded, intentionally slowing his pace and watching to see the shift in Lester's expression, from rigid sexual tension to something pitiful and desperate for release. “Say it, Lest.”

“F-fuck, just, ah—”

“‘Just’ what?”

“Just fucking make me come!”

Right as he cried out, Alex smirked and returned to his original speed, taking pleasure in the way Lester breathed and uttered his moans. He'd only been able to imagine what it would be like to have Lester under his control and at his mercy, and it was a thought he was almost certain would never come to pass, especially since the older man had never shown any prior interest in him, romantically or sexually (or even platonically). It was a fantasy he could only entertain in his imagination, and even if Lester wasn't the only one he'd thought about in that way, nor would he be the last, Alex was certainly interested in the idea.

He wouldn't ever confess it, not to Lester, but the brunette was worried that the stunt he pulled the other night would forever ruin their working relationship, and he went over a hundred what-if's and another hundred maybe's in his head, overthinking the possibilities that all seemed to end the same terrible, predictable way. What he didn't anticipate was Lester not outright refusing him, and instead returning the affection with the same degree and eagerness. That definitely caught him off-guard, but he wasn't without curiosity and daring, and it was exactly that that led to him revealing his deepest desire as bluntly as possible.

_Because I want you._

If Lester's rapid breathing and increasingly louder moans were any indication that he was close, Alex took notice of it and quickened his pace accordingly, just enough to push the older man over the edge. Using his free hand, he tilted Lester's head upwards so they were directly eye-to-eye, and the brunette could see just how desperate Lester wanted the release.

Alex only gave a devious smile in return, and he forced the older man to maintain eye contact by keeping his head tilted in place. “I want to see your face when I make you come.”

“F-fuck… I'm…”

“Look at me. _Say my name._ ”

“I-I— _A-Alex—!_ ”

Lester threw his head back, grabbing a fistful of the other man's shirt as he climaxed into the palm of Alex's hand still pumping away. He was racked with shivers and, with a weary exhale, slid his back down the wall as his knees gave in. The cane only did so much to halt his descent, but Alex was there to lift him up by his arms and keep him upright.

“That good, huh?” The brunette chuckled and led his partner to the bed, where he sat awkwardly with his pants and belt still undone. “I'm just gonna clean up and we can finish that champagne, yeah?”

Alex gave the older man a teasing smile before ducking into the small bathroom in the corner and turning on the tap. As he fixed his jeans and fastened his belt, Lester could make out the faint sound of running water and something else he couldn't quite figure out — it sounded like the other man was whistling to himself, and Lester confirmed his suspicion when Alex stepped outside of the bathroom with a cheerful expression and a tune on his lips. At least someone was in a good mood.

The brunette picked up the bottle of champagne and took a hefty swig, then took a seat next to the older man on the bed. “You looked like you enjoyed yourself back there, Lest.”

Lester felt his face go flush, and he turned his head away to avoid eye contact. “Yeah. Well. What did you expect?”

“A ‘thank you’ maybe? But I'll also take an ‘oh my god Alex, jerk me off again’.” When the hacker gave him an ice-cold look in response, he raised his hands in defense. “Hey, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!”

Lester didn't give a retort, much to the brunette's surprise, and the conversation lulled into an awkward quietness. It seemed they were prone to long moments of silence after sharing a heated session, and Alex was getting a little tired of it, considering Lester was also his coworker and he couldn't stand skirting around what was and wasn't okay, and having to do that constantly when it came to working together. He had to set ground rules, much as he hated having to go through this hurdle, if they wanted to continue whatever this was.

And Alex was sure as hell he wanted it.

“Lest,” he began, tone suddenly serious, “what do you think of this? Of us?”

Lester shrugged. “I don't… think anything of it in particular.”

Well, that was a blatant lie.

“C'mon, Lest, think.”

The hacker sighed and scratched the back of his head. “I, uh, value this relationship as business associates.”

“What else?”

“I… enjoy this?”

“You're saying it like you're unsure,” replied Alex, swirling the contents of the bottle around. “Be honest, Lest. Think for a sec.”

And think he did, and he thought hard about the night they met up and shared more than just wine, and how Alex made him feel things he'd never felt about anyone before, save for Georgina. And then he thought about her, and the kiss they shared on the rooftop after the Casino heist, and how that didn't compare to the way Alex held him and kissed him, and gave him a high comparable to the adrenaline rush from a successful score. Georgina was sweet, considerate, and incredibly astute, and possessed a sharp wit Lester found rather attractive. She was everything he could have ever possibly wanted in a partner and more, and starting an actual, stable relationship with her seemed like the obvious choice.

But it was a little more complicated than that. Georgina displayed previous interest in him, sure, and they made out on the rooftop after the heist, that was great, but Lester had a suspicion that she may have just been using him as a means to an end, to get revenge on the Duggans for taking advantage of her brother and mocking the Cheng family name. Lester wouldn't put it past her to manipulate him, either — having a woman like that in his corner was too good to be true, and she had no reason to come to him for help other than needing someone to do her dirty work for her.

Maybe he was so used to being a hired thug that he allowed it to happen.

Even if she had been using him, Lester was now pondering, why Alex? What made Alex the superior option? He was nothing like her — he was flippant and coarse and loud, and there wasn't anything delicate or sophisticated about the way he expressed his affection for the hacker. Alex was, arguably, the antithesis of Georgina, and Lester shouldn't have had second thoughts about who to pick.

But Alex was always there. He was there when Lester prematurely celebrated the success of the Casino heist, he was there when Lester introduced Avon and formulated a plan to prevent the next world war, and he was there when Lester was stabbed in the back by that same two-faced billionaire and needed a friend to listen to his woes over a bottle of wine. No matter where or what, Alex was always there for him, with him, even when he didn't need to be, and Lester wasn't sure how he could ever thank him for that. When the brunette displayed honest-to-goodness interest in him that night, he made Lester feel wanted, in a way that Georgina hadn't. She needed him for a job; Alex wanted him for him.

And that was the biggest difference of all.

That being said, it didn't lessen the guilt Lester felt for going behind Georgina's back and doing things with Alex, even if nothing between them had been set in stone and their relationship was nothing official. The only conceivable way Lester could maintain his sanity throughout this ordeal was to repress the thought of Georgina completely. Just getting rid of the guilt wasn't enough — thoughts of her would have to go, too. Anything to streamline the process and ease the gut-wrenching feeling in his stomach.

“Alex, I… I have to be honest here.”

“Go on.”

“I'm losing my fucking mind over this.”

Alex raised a curious brow. “Yeah?”

“This, er, whatever we have… I like it. Alright?” Lester exhaled and shook his head to clear his mind. “It's fun and it makes me feel good, but then I sit and think and be alone with my thoughts, and all the guilt catches up, and I have no idea how to deal with it.”

The brunette offered the bottle of champagne to his companion, who looked like he needed the drink, but the latter politely refused. He seemed genuinely perturbed by the situation, and he wasn't sure if alcohol would do him any good. Sleeping pills, maybe, but he had to wait until he got home for that, and he was itching for something to alleviate the uneasiness; expensive champagne just didn't seem like the answer at the moment.

“It's Georgina, isn't it?” inquired Alex, watching for the older man's facial reaction as he mentioned her name. Nothing.

“… Yeah. I didn't think I was capable of… this.”

“Cheating?”

“When you put it bluntly, it makes me feel even more like a criminal,” muttered Lester. “Yes. Cheating. Say more glaringly obvious things, why don't you? Then you can give her a call and let her know you gave me a handjob while you're at it.”

“Hey, hey, Lest, I was just telling it like it is,” the brunette replied, raising his hands defensively. “And, fuck… I didn't get to say it the other night, but I'm sorry I came onto you like that.”

Now it was Alex's turn to get flustered. He knew something would happen that night if he got carried away with the wine, which he did, and even if Lester had been willing to do whatever he wanted (save for the handjob, which was for another time), he still couldn't read what the older man thought about it — beyond the obvious awkwardness and guilt, that is. He suspected that Lester likely did enjoy it and wanted more of it, but he probably had difficulty coming to terms with his own feelings and articulating them in a way that wouldn't make Alex out to be the bad guy.

 _So it's my fault then,_ thought Alex. _I made him like this._

Hearing Lester's voice snapped the other man out of his thoughts, and he suddenly remembered the conversation they were having. Fortunately the hacker didn't notice the worried crease in Alex's brow — or if he did, he didn't bring it up. “You don't have to be sorry. There's nothing to forgive.”

“Yeah, but I still had to say it.”

“That is… appreciated.” At this point the older man had resigned to giving in to the craving for an anxiety fix, so he swiped the champagne bottle from Alex and downed a good portion of it.

“You can have the rest of that,” offered the brunette.

Lester nodded in silent gratitude. He used the cuff of his jacket sleeve to wipe the little bit of champagne dribbling down his chin, earning an amused look from the other man in the process.

The hacker rolled his eyes in response. “Is this talk going somewhere?”

“Yeah, yeah. What I wanna know is what you feel about me in turn.”

“I just did.”

“No, that was about us,” Alex replied, waving a hand in dismissal. “I wanna know what you feel about me specifically.”

That was not an easy question to answer. Lester knew how he felt about them, and how good Alex made him feel, but he didn't know how he felt about Alex as a person. “Valuable teammate” and “reliable crew member” didn't seem to cut it; the brunette felt like so much more than just that, and Lester couldn't find the words to adequately describe him. He was a thorn in his side at times, and other times he was just who Lester needed for a particular job. Alex was brash and cocky and impulsive… but he was also clever and dependable and good in a fight. He was such a complex individual that Lester couldn't possibly narrow him down to just adjectives, much less articulate how he felt about him.

If actions speak louder than words, he'd been reliant on just actions to do the speaking for him. He was never good at talking, anyway.

“I'm…” Lester trailed off, eyes drifting to other areas in the room. “I'm not ready to answer that.”

Alex nodded, seeming to have understood. “Okay. Next on the table… the topic of Georgina.”

“Oh God, are we really going there again?” the hacker complained as he felt his irritation bubbling back up. Something about the mention of her just set him off for some reason.

“Yes, Lest. If not now, fine. But we're going to have to discuss it eventually.”

Lester grumbled and chugged the rest of the champagne, not caring that the drink cost literal thousands of dollars. “It's just… why do I have to decide?”

Alex turned to the older man, surprised that he hadn't completely dropped the topic yet. Not wanting to talk over Lester, he stayed silent and listened intently to what he had to say.

“Georgina, she… she's way out of my league, you know? She's everything highschool Lester dreamed of. And I was, uh, never that good at talking to girls, but with her it was, I don't know, easy? Is ‘easy’ the word?”

Alex only shrugged.

“I should have known from the start… someone like her wouldn't ever talk to someone like me unless she needed to use me for something.”

“Well, I'm sure she must have liked you for something.”

“Oh, so now you're coaxing me into going after her?” Lester questioned.

“I… Lest, for fuck's sake, that's not what I'm doing.” The brunette took a deep breath before running a hand through his hair. Lester was being difficult, but that's just about what he could expect from a difficult conversation. “I'm just saying her affection must have come from somewhere. Even if she had been faking it — and who knows, maybe she wasn't — it couldn't have been easy to come up with that from nothing.”

“So what are you saying?”

“You're not as big an unlovable, unattractive loser as you think you are.”

The older man scoffed, shaking his head. “Here we go again. Another one of your pep talks.”

“What do you wanna hear, then? 'Cause if this isn't doing it for you, we can always go back to making out drunk and jerking each other off.” Alex didn't mean for it to come out so coarsely, so crudely, but he was quickly losing patience and they were going nowhere fast. “You'd like that, wouldn't you?”

“Oh, don't act like you wouldn't like it either,” spat Lester.

“No, but you were begging for it, as I remember. It'd be easier than having this talk, right?”

“And then what? We'll be back to square fucking one!”

“Better than having this fucking runaround with you!”

They were standing up and glaring daggers at each other, fuming, stewing silently in anger; both men were poised to strike like two hostile cobras, without any of the hiss and all of the venom. Lester hadn't seen that sort of fire in the other man's eyes before, not in this context, but he wasn't about to back down or show an ounce of fear. He was going to say his piece, no more, no less, and Alex was going to listen to him whether he wanted to or not.

“Just let me talk, alright? No interruptions, no sarcasm.” Lester stared the other man down, his gaze stern and unwavering. “You owe me at least that much.”

That seemed to placate the brunette for a little bit, and he settled back down to his seat on the bed, eyeing the older man cautiously.

Lester set the empty champagne bottle on the floor before exhaling loudly. “I feel like my mind is going a thousand miles an hour, every fucking second of the day. I got the IAA breathing down my neck 'cause they expect me to fix whatever mess Avon left, and now I've gotta deal with whatever the hell this is,” he stated, gesturing to the both of them, “and if I don't do anything about either of those things, the whole fucking world falls apart, and I'm the only one to blame!”

Alex's expression softened as the older man's outburst slowly dawned on him. He knew Lester had a lot on his mind, with the way he always seemed tense and his eyebrows had that certain wrinkle, but he had no idea it weighed this heavily on his mind. The hacker always seemed to take everything in stride… somewhat, and he either hid it behind sarcasm, or jokes that weren't always funny, and he did it well — well enough that even Alex couldn't fully read that side of him. Alex felt a twinge of guilt for not having realized sooner; maybe it was his confidence and trust in the older man that led him to believe everything was fine, when in fact nothing really was.

“And then… and then you come along and invite me over for wine one night, as ‘friends’, and then things, crazy things happen, and I can't get them out of my head!”

The brunette's expression turned to hurt as he heard those words, and he opened his mouth to utter an apology but stopped himself just before he did. It was just as he feared: Lester completely losing his shit over what happened, and it was all Alex's fault.

_Shouldn't have invited him, shouldn't have drunk with him, shouldn't have leaned in and kissed him and touched him—_

“A-and you know the funniest thing?” Lester continued, interrupting the other man's train of thought. His voice had softened somewhat, disbelief overtaking the anger. “It was… it was the best I've ever felt. About myself. About anyone.”

Their eyes met for the first time since Lester went on a mad tangent, and he froze as the tension shifted in the air, like he had said something he wasn't supposed to. They held their gazes for a moment longer before Lester tore away, choosing instead to stare at the floor as he sat back down on the bed.

“Lest…” Alex spoke with a certain gentleness that seemed to pacify the older man's temper. “I had no idea.”

“Well, I kept it mostly in my head,” replied Lester with a shake of his head. “And I don't exactly do well with sharing my own secrets. I prefer, uh, finding out other people's.”

Alex gave a small nod. “Yeah. I know that much at least.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Lest… listen,“ the brunette began, “I don't mind if you're not ready or you don't have your shit together. Just tell me if you need time or something, and I'll back off.”

Lester shot a confused look at the other man. “What? Back off? Why?”

“I don't know... I just thought I only made things worse. Or that I came on too strong and now you're freaking out about what I did.”

“Er, well, yes, but I— I can't say. But I know it can't get any worse than this.”

“So this, whatever this is,” said Alex as he gestured to the space between them, “it's not exactly a good thing. Right?”

“Alex, we're too far down this rabbit hole. Who's to say what's right or wrong anymore?”

“Exactly. So tell me what it is you want.”

There it was again, probably Alex's favorite line of dialogue to say around him, and he wielded it like a weapon sheathed until he was ready to strike an answer out of the older man. What _did_ Lester want? Did he have an answer for it? If he couldn't figure out his own feelings, what more if he had to verbalize them to the other man?

Lester then recalled the resolution he made to himself earlier — that he was going to see this through to the end, one way or another, consequences be damned.

He owed himself that much.

“If I'm being honest… I just want this, whatever we have. I wanna continue doing it. To hell with everything else.”

Alex couldn't hide the way his face lit up and how his lips tugged upwards into a smile. “Yeah?”

“Yes. I mean it.” He was hoping he wouldn't come to regret that answer eventually, but that was a problem for another time. Hopefully not anytime soon.

“So now I gotta ask, Lest.” The brunette closed the little distance between them and leaned in closer, the smile on his lips curving into his signature smirk and his eyes donning that familiar, dark hungriness. “What else do you want?”

He knew, he always knew exactly how to make Lester weak; not that the latter was complaining, but there was a deep sense of intimacy when only one person in the world knew your weakness and they weren't afraid of exercising the power they held over you. Even outside of the bedroom, Alex knew just how to push his buttons and get a reaction out of him.

And Lester willingly complied, because it was all he knew how to do.

“Alex… we're really gonna do this again?”

A chuckle escaped the brunette's lips as he gently shook his head. “No, not really. It's an honest question.”

“And a very vague question, at that.”

“Alright, let me rephrase. What am I allowed to do?”

“Allowed to do?” Was he looking for permission to touch him? The man had at least a little bit of decency, Lester had to give him that. And in some tiny, inexplicable way, Lester was grateful for it.

“Kissing?” Alex inquired.

“Not around people.” That was a given.

“Where can I kiss you?”

 _Everywhere,_ Lester wanted to reply. He wasn't sure if it was because he was so touch-starved that he wanted any and all forms of physical affection, regardless of where it came from, or if he just genuinely liked Alex and the attention he gave him. Unless, of course, that was another side effect of being touch-starved.

“I, uh… w-wherever it's appropriate…?”

Alex gave a lighthearted laugh. Seeing the older man get flustered was all too endearing. “Okay. Touching?”

Lester's cheeks reddened as he recalled the heated moment they shared just minutes earlier. If he were being honest with himself, he would have liked to be kissed and touched on every inch of his body, but confessing that was different from actually experiencing it, and he knew very well the stark difference between the two. The brunette had exercised enough restraint around him so that he wouldn't accidentally overstep and do something Lester was uncomfortable doing, bar that night — but he apologized sincerely for it since then, and Lester certainly appreciated the gesture.

Now he wasn't sure if it was Alex or him who was supposed to be exercising restraint, and the answer he was gravitating to was something he couldn't admit to himself, let alone Alex.

“T-touching is… fine… wherever it's appropriate?” the hacker stuttered, nervousness creeping up his spine as he realized he just repeated what he said. Would Alex notice? Alex would definitely notice.

A chuckle came from the other man, who seemed to find Lester's replies amusing. “Alright, alright.”

“I-I— you can't expect me to come up with answers on the spot,” the older man defended. “I've never had this kind of conversation before.”

“I know that, Lest. It's fine. Really.” Alex placed a hand on his companion's arm, a gesture coy enough to catch the latter off-guard, but platonic enough to convey genuine friendliness. “Just swear you'll say if it's too much. No bullshit.”

“… I can do that.”

Alex shifted his weight in his seat, looking like he had more to say and even more to ask, but he held his tongue. He felt he had done enough, asked enough of the older man, and the last thing he wanted to do was to overstep yet again. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself otherwise. He could barely forgive himself for their initial encounter.

Lester waited in silence, expecting the other man to pose another question, but it never came. “Is… is that it?”

“Yep.”

“Jesus Christ… I felt like I was undergoing an FIB interrogation procedure,” Lester said, running a hand over his face. Sweat had started to bead on his forehead and on his nose, and he hadn't realized how nervous he'd been since the conversation started.

The brunette laughed. “Sorry. But I think I get you a little more now.”

“How so?”

“How do I say this…” Alex paused to think, a hand scratching his chin for dramatic effect. “It's not just what you answer, you know? It's how you answer that matters, too.”

Caught red-handed, thought Lester. It sucked to be so self-aware of your own dialogue and body language that you couldn't help but let yourself get caught, which was exactly what happened in his case. Nothing was worse than being conscious of it all and not being able to do anything to prevent it from happening anyway.

“Great. Good to know I've embarrassed myself as much as I possibly could today.”

“Hey, it isn't like that,” Alex said with a comforting tone. “You're not the first person I've ‘interrogated.’ It's just something I do, y'know? Boundaries and all that.”

“Right. That's awfully respectful of you… for a criminal.”

The brunette nudged his companion playfully. “Lest, I'm a liar and a thief, not a creep.”

A chuckle rose out of the older man, who couldn't help but find humor in that. This, this was another feeling he craved and longed for — the relaxed, casual atmosphere of sitting with a friend, exchanging personal details about each other while maintaining the lighthearted nature of the conversation. It was something Lester wasn't used to experiencing, if at all. He certainly didn't have anything like this with Michael or Trevor or Franklin; with them it was always business, which Lester didn't mind, but sometimes he would tire of the work talk and want something beyond the topic of the FIB or some rich asshole one of the three had managed to piss off.

He didn't expect that much from them anyway, and more often than not he preferred to keep his distance between them than try and pretend to be friendly. Sure, he had gone drinking with Franklin or Michael on occasion, but the conversations always led back to reminiscing on how good Los Santos used to be, or how easy it used to be to pull off a bank depot job. It was never about who he was, or what he wanted out of a relationship, or whether or not he wanted to keep a certain affair going; his old crew was a good group of guys, but handling this was definitely not their area of expertise. Besides, Lester would much rather keep this relationship hidden from everyone he knew as much as possible, and anybody who didn't need to know would never know for as long as he allowed it.

And it was liberating, in a way, opening up to one person and one person only. He'd said similarly embarrassing things to Alex before, when they hardly knew each other, about how it wasn't always easy for him to talk to girls and how small talk wasn't something he was great at. After all they'd been through, Alex became his sole confidant, and Lester was… actually fine with it.

If they were physically intimate, they may as well be emotionally intimate too, right?

The hacker opened his mouth to speak and break the silence when his phone vibrated with a notification. Rolling his eyes, he pulled it out and checked the message from the lockscreen, and let out a heavy sigh as he read the last line.

“Got somewhere to be?” Alex asked.

“It's, uh, Mrs. Rackman. Details on the FIB funding exchange.”

The brunette gave him a sad smile. “Back to work then?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“The longer we put this off, the more 14 will probably lose his shit when we eventually save his ass.”

Lester fought back a chuckle and stood up with the help of his cane, stretching his legs after what felt like forever. “I really should be heading home then.”

“Can I join you?” Alex had that playful twinkle in his eye, something the older man was well-acquainted with, and he dusted his clothes off as he stood up to meet Lester's stance.

“No.”

“At least let me drive you home?”

“I'll be fine. I'll take a cab.”

“You sure?” the brunette asked, his flirty tone replaced with genuine concern.

“… Yeah. I'll contact you when I have something.”

Alex simply nodded and watched as the older man made his way out of the room, and it was almost as if nothing out of the ordinary happened between them just minutes earlier. His mind reeled back to the moments that led up to that, and the part conversation, part argument that followed. What was important to him was that they had it at all, even if it hadn't been easy and it devolved into a yelling fit, and the knowledge that Lester eventually understood the need for the discussion made him feel like he made real progress between them. Patched things up even, if he was optimistic enough to say that.

Alex made his way to the exit, yawning and stretching his arms above his head, then turned off the lights as he pressed a button to open the sliding door. Stepping into the hallway, he could just barely make out the figure of Lester and the sound of his cane periodically tapping on the cement floor.

He jogged ahead to catch Lester standing by the platform just before the latter could input the access code into the terminal. “Lest, wait up!”

The hacker gave him a once-over, confused but unsurprised that Alex had followed him all the way to the exit. “What?”

“I was just on my way out too,” replied the brunette as he flashed him a grin and punched in the sequence of numbers into the keypad. The colossal metal platform beneath them creaked with effort, and it shook a little as it slowly ascended from its position, lifting both men to the surface at an unhurried pace.

“You just wanted to squeeze some extra time with me, didn't you?” Lester asked, arching a brow at his companion.

“You got me there.” Alex chuckled lightly as the older man rolled his eyes at his reply. “Also this thing takes forever to go up and I didn't feel like waiting.”

“I'll choose to believe you this time.”

A comfortable silence fell between them, save for the incessant whirring and rotating of gears that powered the platform.

Alex was the first to speak up again. “You know, my offer still stands.”

“What offer?”

“Me driving you home.” The brunette jingled his car keys in front of Lester's face, who only gave him an unamused look.

“I already told you, I'm taking a cab.”

“Yeah, no cab's gonna wanna drive up the dirt road leading here.”

“If they managed it when I came here earlier, I'm sure they can manage it again.”

Lester had no idea why Alex was this insistent on driving him home, and a part of him wished he wasn't so pushy with it, especially considering his intent; another smaller part of him, however, believed that the other man was just trying to be a good friend, which was something somewhat unfamiliar to him — but he was appreciative of the concern all the same.

Alex scoffed. “You'd rather wait around standing in the blazing heat?”

“Yes?” Heat was no good for Lester's eczema, but he wasn't about to let the brunette win this debate.

“Lest, c'mon. At least let me drop you off at the freeway. Better for 'em to spot you there anyway.”

That he could compromise. “Fine. You've made your point.”

The elevator ascended higher and the surface platform split open to reveal the cloudless blue sky, the familiar prickliness of dry air settling on their skin and the heat of the sun beating down on their backs. With a thunderous boom, the elevator stopped on level with the ground, and the pair stepped off and approached the Zion still parked by the Facility entrance. A thin layer of dust had already settled on the hood and windshield, and Alex reminded himself a second time to have it washed as soon as he reached the city.

As soon as Lester opened the passenger door, he was immediately met with the acrid odor of cigarette smoke, so ingrained into the leather of the upholstery that he coughed a little when he settled into his seat.

Alex, noticing the grimace on the older man's face, only offered a sheepish smile as he sat down, then turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, and the brunette took great care driving along the winding dirt road, braking when necessary when the ground dipped into particularly steep areas, of which there were too many. Throughout the long, quiet ride, Lester had grown accustomed to the scent of stale cigarette smoke on leather, though he was secretly hoping the smell wouldn't rub off on his clothes. It was so strongly reminiscent of Alex, who always smelled like nicotine one way or another, and Lester wasn't keen on having the other man occupy his thoughts for as long as the scent didn't fade.

Sand and dirt finally merged into dry grass and asphalt as the Zion slowed to a halt at the foot of the hill, where a fruit vendor had set up their booth in the vacant area adjacent to the freeway. Some dust had kicked up as the vehicle parked, much to the vendor’s chagrin, but luckily none had gotten on the fruits.

Lester was the first to speak after the silent drive, face forward and attention on the long stretch of road before them. “Here's good.”

“Alright.” Alex glanced at his companion, who didn't seem all too eager to leave, and he waited patiently for whatever it was he had left to say.

“Uh… thanks for this,” Lester finally said, like it was difficult to admit. “And for… earlier.”

The brunette broke into a wide grin, partially because of the last statement, but mostly because Lester thanked him, actually thanked him, for what he did today. “I'm available any time, Lest. Y'know, in case you need me again.”

Lester did his familiar eye roll and faced the window to hide the pink on his cheeks. “Yeah, yeah.”

Alex watched in amusement as the older man exited the vehicle somewhat in a hurry, and his eyes never left his figure even as the Zion merged into the freeway and started driving over the smooth asphalt. From his rear view mirror, Alex could just barely make out the shape of Lester's arm raised to signal an oncoming cab, and he smiled as he stepped on the gas to cruise at a comfortable 50 mph.

The uneventful drive gave Alex much needed time to reflect on the events that transpired just hours before. When he first arrived at the Facility earlier that day, he expected nothing good or interesting to come out of the meeting — nothing ever did when it came to Avon, he was quickly learning — and all he ever anticipated was bad news on top of the already bad news, and he prepared himself for the worst of it on his trip to the wind farm.

And then he happened upon Lester, alone in the planning room and so very available for a one-on-one talk, and suddenly he felt like the day didn't start off too badly. Sure, there was the initial awkwardness and the lulls in the conversation that lasted a little longer than they should have, but the two eventually worked out their unresolved tension, and even managed to squeeze in a little light teasing before the meeting.

Alex almost swerved into the sandy side of the road when he laughed upon remembering the way Lester looked beneath him against the wall in his bedroom, shaky and nervous but unable to contain the growing need he had for the brunette, and the way his voice sounded when it was reduced to begs and whimpers almost made the depressing meeting and awkward conversations worth it. The moment itself wasn't humorous so much as it was worthy of a laugh, but something about having Lester openly plead for release was all too amusing.

Alex had a real knack for making things go his way, it seemed.

As hillsides and industrial buildings faded and the skyline of the city came into view, Alex set his GPS waypoint to the nearest car wash, eyes darting back and forth between the road and his cellphone, and was pleased to see it was only about half a mile away, at a lesser-known branch of Los Santos Customs. He pat himself on the back for managing to remember to get his car cleaned, considering he had too many things on his mind that only ever bounced between Lester and the end of humanity.

_One thing at a time, Alex. You can do this._

The farther he drove away from the wind farm, the closer his thoughts came to that familiar dark place, the void he oftened numbed with cigarettes or booze or sex, and he was running out of all three. He was going to have to pay a visit to the nearest 24/7 if he wanted to stock up on Redwoods and Pißwassers, and maybe drive around the Vespucci area later that night for a quick hookup. He could have all that and more, but they were only temporary fixes for a long-term problem, a problem that would only worsen the longer he sat around smoking or drinking or fucking. And it didn't help that on top of having to stop Cliffford's eventual takeover, he had to save Agent 14 as well; rescuing him and ULP from Merryweather and Avon's goons were going to be major bumps in the road, and everyone was none too pleased to have to do it at all, Alex included.

He gripped the steering wheel, inhaling then exhaling to release the stress that had been building up, and he felt his mind clear up just the tiniest bit, but the residual anger kept him sharp and ready for action. Already the happy thoughts of being intimate with Lester were replaced with the grim reminder of humanity's end, and he felt a budding grudge against the IAA agent developing, slowly but surely.

“You fucking _owe_ me, 14.”

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> as always, comments n critiques are appreciated!


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